Black and yellow designs and patterns have great visual impact. They're used effectively on hazard tape, warning signs and all manner of things that we should be wary of. That was part of the instant appeal of the original LEGO® Space Blacktron sets. They captured the eye and the imagination, and hinted at some unseen danger. Wild styling was also a feature of those first five sets back in 1987, and the wildest was arguably 6954 Renegade.
Like a queen space wasp, the redesigned LEGO® Icons 10355 Blacktron Renegade has flown in rapidly on a stealthy mission, and hit me with a surprise attack! Those Blacktron spies have returned and I did not see them coming – they're obviously doing their job, so I guess it's time I did mine and inspected their new tech.
Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
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Other 10355 Blacktron Renegade articles
10355 Blacktron Renegade
- Release date: 1 January 2025 for LEGO® Insiders, 4 January for all
- Pieces: 1151
- Ages: 18+
Price:
- US$ 99.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 129.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 89.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 179.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 179.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 99,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 99,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 99,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 439.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 1399,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 899.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
Building the LEGO Blacktron remake
Book 1
There are no great surprises within the build of the rover. It's a solid design with great looks. This would have probably made a cool standalone set back in the day. It's not quite an ATV, given that low ground clearance, but then 6927 All Terrain Vehicle was pretty close to the ground too.
It does cross off a fair few of my Sci-Fi Rover design tickboxes though, and with those top mounted tools, it's giving off assault vehicle vibes too!
The next part of the build is the cockpit section.
Using the half-round parts (68013) means that the half-module 'step over' of the hinge plates can be accommodated within the wall of the construction.
Those new printed elements are looking just beautiful in their natural environment!
It's a sleek, streamlined cockpit, with space for two crew members. The aesthetics are pure Blacktron and I could really see a whole fleet of these buzzing around like wasps; docking with space stations, hooking up to new Battrax wheelbases and generally doing Blacktronic espionage-type stuff!
Recreating the classic wedge-shaped nose here at the larger scale is achieved with a Flag 5 x 6 Hexagonal with U Clips in black (17979, 53913). It fits neatly with the notch-cut 1x2 curved slopes (29119 & 29120). That printed flag is doing the heavy lifting here though, and while it looks good from the top and front, I am unconvinced by the styling of the infill that supports it below (shown above top left), even though the designer explained that there is some 'stealth mission' reasoning behind this.
Book 2
At this point it is clear that the asymmetry is going to be as a result of the difference in the length of the cockpit section of the build compared to the section that will be connected on the other side of the ship.
A locking and release mechanism is added, using the firm springiness of the LEGO Technic part I always think of as 'the rubber peanut' (aka Axle Connector Double Flexible, Rubber, 45590) to create a way for the rover to clip into the body of the ship.
It's a feature of the part that has definitely been used before in other mechanisms, although the rotation of the "switch" that transfers the motion to the locking clips is very effective.
Once the main body of the ship is completed, all that's left to build are the remaining modular sections.
We start with these two engine blocks. I like the boosters, but I am sad to see the missed opportunity of introducing the 4x4 cone (3943b) in yellow.
According to the instructions, the front of the ship (shown above left) is a communications module. I want more from this, to be honest; something for the Blacktron operatives to interact with. Another of those fab printed slopes would possibly be enough, but including something that moved would be better. As Jae Won Lee, Senior Designer pointed out in his interview with Tim, I now see that the connection of the comms module with one of the rocket boosters creates a neat satellite!
The "infiltration speeders" are supposed to be crewed, but appear more like drones to me, given that you have to rotate those triangular signs out of the way to fit the minifigure in.
Once removed from the main fuselage, it is also necessary to rotate the wings into flight position as they are neatly stowed in a vertical position while docked.
The modular and attachable elements are pictured above together, ready for final assembly. These are the same basic divisions used in the original Renegade – I will give you a full side-by-side comparison after we re-examine the original.
When everything is put together in the manner intended, it does create something really impressive to behold. A true update, an upgrade in fact and a worthy successor to the original 6954!
The completed 10355 model
So, I swooshed it a bit. I checked out that rover deployment function. Tested the landing gear, the modular aspect to the build and generally had a play. It's a solid construction, and fairly easy to hold one-handed for those hairpin bend and nosedive manoeuvres.
The three crew are accompanied by a groovy new robot, very much in-keeping with Classic Space styling!
There is a little opportunity to rearrange the format of the ship too and, like the original, some of that modular nature can produce nice results. I think I marginally prefer this flipped version above. Interestingly, the rover can fit in the reverse direction too.
The landing gear is a bit fiddly to deploy, can be a touch temperamental and inclined to retract if the ship is pushed or moved in the wrong direction. It will be fine for the purposes of display, but in play as a kid I think it would have frustrated me if the feet kept closing up when I tried to land the ship.
The original 1980s Renegade and its rare parts
For those few who might yet still be oblivious to the existence of the original set, here's some background about what makes it special, before we compare it to the remake.
Set 6954 Renegade was released in 1987 and contained 315 pieces including two minifigures. I love most of the classic LEGO astronauts, but the Blacktron I guys are the coolest looking, all dressed in black with black visors. The Blacktron dudes – they rock! – even if they were cast as the “bad guys”.
I have often wondered why the white harnesses were not made yellow to tie the whole theme together.
So, what is all the fuss about? For me, it boils down to one word: asymmetry! There are very few asymmetrical vehicles in LEGO Space and in my opinion, none so bold as the Renegade.
Added to that, the original 6954 Renegade was only released in North America. Indeed, I don't recall seeing the Renegade in UK catalogues as a child and the set was something I was unaware of. Unaware until the bug of picking up sets I hadn't managed to acquire as a child hit me in the early 2000s, that is!
Despite a number of efforts, I never managed to win a Renegade on the awful auction place before prices and postage costs from the US forever left the stratosphere – perhaps loaded into the back of one of those Renegades I missed out on?
I naively thought that, as I owned all the other major Blacktron sets of 1987 and 1988, constructing a facsimile of the original Renegade for this review's comparison wouldn’t be too difficult. On the whole, that was mostly true, as I was prepared to compromise (for the sake of cost) on the printed elements. I do have to admit that I also found it necessary to raid contemporaneous sets in my collection for some further necessary missing parts.
Eventually, I did manage to make a passable version as a means to compare the old with the new for this review, although the keen-eyed among you will instantly notice missing printed pieces. I must also add that I already had the 4x4 cones in yellow from another project, and didn’t spend more than £10 on a few fairly plentiful pieces that I was missing in my spares.
If you do go this route and try to recreate this fab set from spares, instructions are online as are inventories. You'll need some of those more exotic original parts too: some of the rarest ones are listed below.
- 2x Plate Special 1 x 2 with Long Stud Receptacle (Space Wing) in Yellow (4596) was only ever in two Blacktron I sets, 6954 Renegade and 6987 Message Intercept Base. BrickLink prices are eye-watering. Just five are available here in the UK and prices start at £14.20 each (at time of writing). The space wing had a hiatus in production between 2000 and 2011 and returned with only some very minor tweaks and so, as the mould is available, it is a shame that neither yellow or black have reappeared in the updated Blacktron set(s).
- 2x Cone 4 x 4 x 2 with Axle Hole [Plain] in Yellow (3943b) is also pretty rare having only appeared in three sets, and the 3943a variant was in just one train set from 1980. Only one damaged 3943b is currently available on BrickLink in the UK but you should generally expect this part to cost you upwards of £3. Black cones appear in the new Renegade and a yellow recolour would have again been nice, as black is available it seems unreasonable to ask for more!
- 2x Tile 2 x 2 in Black with Yellow Arrow without Border Print (3068bpr0021) was in seven sets and somewhat easier to locate than these other parts.
- 1x Slope 45° 2 x 2 in Black with 12 Buttons, 3 Red Lamps, Yellow Panel Print (3039pr9995) was included in three sets.
- 2x Slope 45° 2 x 2 in Black with Yellow Grill Print (3039pr0010) was in three sets and a service pack.
- 2x Brick 1 x 2 in Black with Yellow Grill Print (3004pr9982) was only in the Renegade and 6941 Battrax.
- 2x Tile 2 x 2 in Yellow with Grill Black Print (3068bpr0031) was unique to the Renegade and as a result, prices for this 2x2 tile start at "ridiculous" and then work their way rapidly up from there. The price of postage from the US to UK would elevate those BrickLink prices to a whole new level of crazy. You will have no doubt noted it is pictured in white above, and was replaced by unprinted yellow tiles in my version of the model; I could not justify the price of even one.
- 2x Flexible Hose 8.5L in Yellow with Tabless Ends Black (73590c01b) aren't horrifically expensive given they were in a few sets, but finding the correct ones in good condition can be more of a task
- 4x Slope 45° 2 x 1 with Bottom Pin in Black with print (3040bpr0008). The upgraded Renegade does feature a facsimile of this part: Slope 45° 2 x 1 with Bottom Pin with console print in Black (6524425 | 3040bpr), and I think that the new ones flooding the market will probably reduce the cost of this part - although it should be stressed there are subtle differences as outlined in my parts review. There are just three in the 6987 Message Intercept Base, so another is needed from one of the other 8 sets it appeared in.
- 1x Wedge Sloped 4 x 4 Taper with Blacktron I Logo Print (4858pr0001). If you don't have this piece, secondhand parts are reasonably priced, but again quality may be your enemy here. There is the stickered variant from 40580 (shown below) that might also do the trick!
The place to go for pictures of the original packaging of 6954 Blacktron Renegade is the Back of the Box Builds website – if you've not been there before, it's worth a scout around as the alternate builds are always intriguing, and rich with quirky options for further building.
For a full overview of the original Renegade, I suggest watching Jangbricks’ review and All New Bricks’ animated build. Along with their reveal articles for 10355, Brickset also published a really nice in-depth look at the original too. Vicarious enjoyment aplenty if, like me, owning a real one is beyond your means!
Comparing the 10355 remake to the original 6954 Renegade
The new Renegade represents a significant increase in all respects except one surprising one: the price! I found a retail price on page 392 of JCPenney's 1988 Christmas catalogue. To grant your Christmas wishes, Mom and Dad would have had to fork out $29.99 – which, inflation adjusted, translates to about $83 – and that's not all that far from the $100 cost of our modern remake.
Enjoy this gallery of side-by-side photos of both versions of the Renegade.
I think this new version compares favourably. I have seen some negativity online in response to this release; the missing midsection cargo hold being a big concern for some as well as the increased percentage of yellow elements. I'm glad that there are some differences and if nothing else, at least our reimagined Renegade adds something new to the fleet, not least, some lovely new printed parts!
Set 10355 Renegade and GwP 40580 Cruiser
LEGO has seemingly managed to keep a pretty good lid on leaks for this remake of the Renegade. Rumours surfaced early in October that Blacktron was coming back again, but details were sketchy until relatively recently. Even then, I felt caution was best exercised in the face of such speculation, because this seemed too good to be true! This was despite Blacktron having first returned in 2023, with the gift with purchase (GwP) 40580 Blacktron Cruiser which is a reimagining of 6894 Invader. See Zach's great little review of 40580 on our Instagram.
Clearly, that GwP was successful enough to demonstrate that consumers had an appetite for something a bit more audacious in this theme.
The new Renegade is modular within the confines of the set, but unfortunately, it does not really combine with 2023’s reimagined Invader in any satisfying configuration. There is a similar but not identical attachment method utilised, and I can see why it was necessary to make changes for the new model: the Cruiser positions both clips on one module and both bars on the other, while the Renegade uses clips and bars on both modules. Indeed, this is an improvement in modularity.
10355 alternate Alienator build
The Renegade also has a B-model: a much larger scale reimagining of the original 6876 Alienator. Unfortunately, its instructions are download only and those were not made available to us in time for this review. I hope to explore this option as soon as those instructions are available online.
However, Tim saw the prototype model – with its repair bot companion – at Fan Media Days 2024 in Denmark in September.
There, he met 10355's designer Jae Won Lee and you can read some of Jae's insights in our designer reveal article.
Conclusion
Both the Renegade and the Alienator were originally designed by Bjarne Panduro Tveskov, legendary creator of many of LEGO Space sets of the latter half of the 1980s. I think Jae Won Lee has done an excellent job of honouring Bjarne's original; capturing the essence of not only Blackton's stealthy charm but the stylish quirkiness of the Renegade too.
I think you could do much worse than to give this set room in your house, but then, as you've got this far through my review, you're probably a fan of Blacktron already and I'm preaching to the converted.
It looks cool and I think actually compares favourably with the original Renegade – I prefer that it is sturdier, and I think it is better looking too. It was another fun build, even if there weren't any challenges or many 'wow' moments. The reintroduction of the 1x2 sloped console piece as a virtually unaltered element is a delightful surprise.
There are some disappointing things too though; I felt that the inability to combine or incorporate parts from the 40580 Blacktron Cruiser was a little bit of a fail.
It strikes me that maybe a small Futuron side-build could really have made something extra special of this set. Some form of prey for this majestic predator? Even if that came with an associated upswing in price point, I would have happily paid for it.
I think the only other thing I would have liked is a new canopy on the Renegade; even just a trans-yellow recolour of an existing one. When 70816 Benny’s Spaceship Spaceship SPACESHIP! introduced the X-wing cockpit canopy (13252, 51477) in trans-yellow in 2014 it was a highly welcome addition. It is understandable that LEGO has reused that part for this and for the 10497 Galaxy Explorer. Furthermore, considering the introduction of the 4 x 4 x 4 ⅔ canopy (11289, 63791) in trans-yellow on the rover, it seems ungrateful to ask for more, but opportunities to create things that have very different looks is an additional aspect that I’m always looking for with sets such as this. It’s a mild disappointment, but one that is more than made up for by the existence of the set – and its worldwide availability, unlike its predecessor!
Set 10355 joins the rock and roll hall of fame of the reimagined sets of the past. Riffing on that wonderful asymmetry; and the designer has included all the power chords of the original too. This new version is more of an upscale and an upgrade than simply a remix of the Renegade!
As far as recommendations are concerned, I'm actually torn, because although I think it's a little bit expensive for the quantity and selection of parts (as I covered in part one), I really love the set. It was a bit like Christmas had come early for me.
A factor influencing me to recommend this is closeness to the inflation-adjusted price of the original. That has surprised me to such an extent that I'm thinking this is reasonable value. The readymade opportunity for some nostalgic building as well as fairly healthy selection of attractive parts that can promote your own new Blacktron MOCs to the next level is also very welcome.
I introduced this set as being like a giant interstellar wasp, but there's been no threat of being stung... perhaps this is more like a honeybee; we still need to be wary but approached in the right way this is a warm new friend bearing the sweetest of gifts.
READ MORE: January 2025 LEGO® Friends sets introduce a host of new moulds every builder will want
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